Zombies are awesome. I don't think we can argue about that. Well, we can, but you'll lose. You have no evidence zombies aren't awesome. You can't have ... unless, I guess, one of them stuck their fingers right up your nose to try and get to your brain, but even then you have to admire their methods!
Anyway. Zombies, to me, are totally inspiring, and one way is that they eat really well. I know, I know, you'll be all "No they don't! They eat brains and other gross stuff!" The thing is though, zombies eat brains because brains are good for zombies. They know that if they eat brains, they will prosper and live (sort of) an awesome life (sort of).
Have you ever heard of the term sometimes foods? No? Well, these are foods it's better for us to eat sometimes. It's kind of obvious. It's right there in the name. The thing is, for a lot of people, sometimes foods are ALL THE TIMES foods. All the time foods? I don't know, whatever, they eat too much of them and it's not good for them!

Sometimes foods, for non-zombie humans, are foods like take away food, or sugary food or drink, or really fatty food, or basically anything that tastes really awesome. Seriously. Scientists work on these things. There's actually a thing known as a bliss explosion, which is food with the exact right amounts of sugar, fat and salt to get you going off and have you coming back for more.

Businesses want to get you addicted to certain foods so you buy more, but it's not always good for your health. Sugary foods, for example, give you a rush, but then you can crash afterwards and feel sleepy. And too much sugar packs on the pounds too! If you stop having a teaspon of sugar in your tea or coffee, that can save you a few kilograms a year! And in something like a can of soft drink? That has like 40 teaspoons of sugar in it!!! It's true! 

The thing is, it's awesome to have sometimes foods sometimes. They taste SOOOOOO good and they're quick and easy, but in the long shuffle, if we follow the zombies' example, well, quick and easy isn't always best. Zombies are in for the long haul. Their sometimes foods are legs and arms and guts and stuff, but it's brains they really go after. Have you ever seen a zombie shuffling along, arms out, groaning 'FINNNNGERRRRRRRSSSSS!'
That's right, you haven't, because it never happens.
Fingers are sometimes foods. Brains sustain.
Eat and drink the good stuff, to sustain you. 
Have the sometimes foods sometimes. 

It's better for you in the long run, trust me, because if you have heaps of sugar and then crash and need a nap in the afternoon, well, sorry, but while you're in La La Sleepy Land, the zombies are going to attack and you'll be a sleeping sustaining food and a sometimes food, because they're going to snack on every last bit of you!
So eat well, stay healthy, and join the revolution, because if you really wanna live ... you gotta become undead!
#zombieinspiration

DARRELL PITT is one of my favourite people! He's not only hilarious and awesome, he's also a gun writer. Darrell did things the hard way, self-publishing and showing his work online, even as free books via Wattpad. Eventually, a publisher sat up and took notice, and Darrell was rewarded with an AMAZING 8 BOOK DEAL! Those books published include the Jack Mason Mysteries, and his brand new book, A Toaster on Mars! SUCH a good title!
Darrell talks to us about setting goals, and why that's so important. 
He is also gosh darn hilarious in the Zombie Inspiration Fast Question Challenge.
Finally, shed a tear with me as we see what happens to Darrell when he goes looking for fertiliser for his pot plant and best friend, Bruce. It's not pretty. It's not pretty at all.
Find out all about Darrell HERE, and buy his books at all good bookstores, and also through Text Publishing!
​Enjoy the videos!

Check out Darrell's BRAND NEW BOOK, A Toaster on Mars, released May 30, 2016!!!

Zombies have a goal. It's a really good goal, because they know exactly what they want (To catch you, bite your face off and chew on your sweet, sweet juicy brain); they know the steps they need to take to get it (Step 1. Catch you. Step 2. Bite your face off and chew on your sweet, sweet, juicy brain); and they know when they want to achieve it by (LIKE RIGHT NOW!!!).
Because of this, zombies are successful more often than not. Don't believe me? Okay, so when a thousand zombies are chasing you and trying to bite your face off and suck out your brains, guess what? Those thousand all turned into zombies because another zombie reached his or her gross, disgusting, face-biting goal.
So what can we learn from zombies when setting goals for ourselves? HEAPS! HEAPS is the answer!
1. Setting a goal gives you direction. If zombies didn't have the goal they did, well, they would just shuffle around, grunting and groaning, and not knowing what to do when a human actually did show up ready to be eaten. If you don't know what you want, how are you going to bite its face off?
2. It's great to know the steps you need to take to start towards your goal. For zombies, those steps are actual steps - like sort of weird shuffly steps, but still steps. For you, it might be signing up for a class, or going for a run, or doing extra study. Whatever it is, knowing the steps to take helps you actually take them, and every little step gets you closer to your goal.
3. Not all goals are good. It's true. Wanting to catch someone and bite their face off is not a good goal for you to have! Seriously. What were you even thinking? As a zombie it's bad enough, but you're not even a zombie, which makes it weird and wrong and get away from me now! If your goals hurt other people in order for you to succeed, well, maybe it's time to either rethink your goals or rethink how you're going about reaching them.
4. If you don't reach a goal, that's not the end of the world What do zombies do if they don't catch someone? They get ready for the next person. They go looking for another brain to chew on. They don't give up and figure that because they missed one goal they shouldn't ever try again. If you don't reach a goal, take what you've learned and go after that goal again. Or set a new goal. You will change and grow, your interests will change and grow, and your goals will change and grow with you.
5. Set a deadline. Without a deadline you can fluff away for the rest of your life (that means you can just time-waste ... it's not a fart reference). You can say that you'll do the training tomorrow. You can say that the extra study can wait till tomorrow. You can say that you'll practise harder tomorrow. Well, guess what people? Tomorrow never comes, and if it does you'll be getting your brain sucked out through your eyeball hole! A deadline - a finish date - helps you focus. It makes you get out and do the extra work. And if you really go hard at your goal, chances are you might reach it before your deadline even arrives. Wouldn't that be sweet?
​
So use the zombie example. Set goals for yourself, put a timeframe on them, and work out the steps you want to take to reach them.
Then ... GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
​Be awesome everyone, and remember, if you really wanna live, you gotta be undead!
#zombieinspiration

Meredith Costain is an absolute legend in the Australian children's book world. With over 200 books published, she is now going gangbusters with her Ella Diaries books, which are being published right around the world! The latest Ella book, Friends Not Forever, was released on May 1, 2016, so get out and get one now!
Meredith also knows that if you want to reach your dreams, you have to take action and go for it, because if you don't, anything could happen. A zombie could bite into your cheek, for one thing!
Check out the videos below to hear Meredith talk about taking action, and watch the Zombie Inspiration Fast Question Challenge to see one of the best zombie impressions EVER!
Also go to www.meredithcostain.com to find out more about this champion author!

Paul Collins is a ninja. He's not really, but he does know martial arts, so you have to be nice to him or he will karate chop off your head!
I was lucky enough to speak to Paul from a distance, so I was safe. Paul is an amazing author who has written over 150 books, but he also runs a publishing company! And he smashes zombies in the face before they eat his brains ... most of the time ... more of that later.
Watch the videos below to see Paul talking about why it's important to be fit and healthy, not just in an apocalypse, but even as a writer!
Paul also answers very deep and philosophical questions in the Zombie Inspiration Fast Question Challenge, and , unfortunately, there is a video showing what happened to Paul when he punched one zombie too many in the face.
Find out all about Paul HERE and, if you want to get published, check out his publishing company,  FORD STREET